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Because interest in PCs remain limited, the firm explained, as the world increasingly takes up tablets and post-PC devices, there's little chance of the traditional desktop and notebook market showing positive growth beyond device replacement.

Total shipments are expected to decline by an additional 3.8 percent in 2014, but may show some signs of positive growth in the longer term. Even in emerging markets, which have previously seen increased growth, developing countries are losing interest in PCs with shipments expected to decline in 2014.

Emerging market shipments are expected to recovery by "only a few percent" by 2017.

The business and commercial market is faring better than the consumer market, suggesting enterprise customers are powering the overall shipments. The long-term outlook for both markets aren't far off each other, however.

"The Windows-based tablet market is expected to grow to 39.3 million units in 2017 from less than 7.5 million in 2013 and less than 1 million in 2011," according to IDC's Loren Loverde.

"However, relative to a PC market size of roughly 300 million units, these Windows tablets would add just a couple percent a year relative to PC growth. Even so, these Windows devices are projected to account for 10 percent of a combined PC and Windows Tablet market by 2016 – making them an important growth segment for the PC ecosystem," she said.